More than two months before candidates can file for a place on the ballot, nursing home business manager Jonathan Sorenson said today he will run for mayor on a “smart growth” platform.

Sorenson

In a statement announcing his candidacy, Sorenson, 27, said he would pursue policies that discourage construction of multi-family housing and spur development of single-family neighborhoods.

“Our city council must step up and protect San Marcos. If multi-family development is not slowed and single family development stays stagnant, San Marcos is going to be in a sad situation. Student housing is important in San Marcos but we cannot allow these development projects to encroach on existing stable communities or worse, to negatively impact our river,” said Sorenson, who graduated from Texas State University last year with a bachelor’s degree in public administration.

Employed as business manager at the San Marcos Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Sorenson said he is “running as a citizen of San Marcos, not a politician.”

The first day candidates can file to run in the Nov. 5 municipal election is Monday, July 27.

Mayor Daniel Guerrero, who spent the weekend traveling to a Blue October concert in Baltimore, has not said publicly if he intends to seek a third two-year term. The mayor was absent from Tuesday’s regular city council meeting; Mayor Pro Tem John Thomaides presided over the meeting in his stead.

Here is the full text of Sorenson’s announcement statement:

Jonathan Sorenson, fourteen year resident of San Marcos and graduate of Texas State University, has announced his candidacy for Mayor of San Marcos.

“I’m running as a citizen of San Marcos, not a politician, and my experience outside of local politics has given me the tools I need to make city government work for our citizens” stated Sorenson during a small meeting of his campaign staff. “I have loved San Marcos since the day my family moved here and I am compelled to serve.”

Sorenson stated that the key to success for San Marcos and its citizens will be adding stable and long term jobs to the market. He stated that his number one priority, if elected, will be working with city partners to add jobs and to increase median household income.

Sorenson believes that the current job climate and difficulty attracting new business to San Marcos is directly connected to the current housing development projects. “Shifting focus from multi-family to single-family projects will show companies that we want them in San Marcos long term; not just for a lease term.”

“I think a fresh perspective is just what our city needs. This is a pivotal time for San Marcos. What is done over the next five or ten years will affect San Marcos economically, environmentally, and culturally for the next fifty or one hundred years. We have to be smart” stated Sorenson.

Sorenson stated he looks forward to officially kicking off his campaign in mid-June and will provide dates and event information via his campaign website. Information about Sorenson and his campaign is provided at VoteSorenson.com.

I’m requesting a copy of Guerrero’s weekend travel itinerary through the mayor’s office. I’m not sure if it will be public information since it seems doubtful he was touring with Blue October on official city business. I’ve removed the reference to the Spurs game until the information can be verified or clarified. I originally saw the check-in on his Facebook page, I thought, but I’ve been blocked now or the page has been removed. I am happy to report, however, that the mayor has made it back to San Marcos. He came in an hour late for tonight’s joint city council-planning commission meeting on the proposed La Cima development. Mayor Pro Tem John Thomaides again ran the meeting until Guerrero showed.

Mr. Rollins I have not published a while to your site, however last night at the City Council meeting Mr. Thomaides stated that our Mayor was out of town on City business. Were you at the CC meeting last night? It was a small crowd. =( I am wary of candidates who have not even thrown their hat (or rarely do) into a P&Z meeting or City Council meeting for Citizens Comments.

I was reading a news story today about San Marcos again being ranked as the fastest growing city in the US (among cities of 50,000+) with a population growth rate of 8%, in it BloombergBusinessweek had a quote from Daniel Guerrero, which said our mayor was in Chicago trying to recruit business to SM.

I think mayor blue Octobers time has run out. I am ready to vote for anyone that runs against him. I wish JT would run against him and really make things interesting. mayor blue October has lost tons of support that supported him in his first election. He didn’t need them for his last election cause there really wasn’t any viable opponents. He should really be worried. I’m tired of the publicity stunt. He is on TV as much as Obama. We need new blood at the helm.

According to the mayor’s FB page, he was in Chicago for a GSMP event. While there, they apparently attended a Cubs game and went out to watch the Spurs play. Nothing terribly controversial.

He did appear to take a side trip to Baltimore on the way to see Blue October though. I would hope (and assume) that any extra cost for that venture came out of his pocket personally. But then I also have those same hopes for any of the other 50 times or so that he’s been to their shows around the nation since he’s been our Mayor.

That being said, I do admit that I often wish our Mayor were nearly as interested in actually improving San Marcos as he appears to be in “being seen”…..he’s really playing the “small town politician” card for all it’s worth.

Thank you everyone for the additional information. The beautiful thing about the digital age is that everyone can throw in information and opinions; it’s messy sometimes but is also, often, illuminating. As the election comes up — and San Marcos continues to ponder its place in the scheme of things — these conversations will be an asset to our community.

He will probably start “thumping” his chest about San Marcos being the fastest growing city. Well he needs to stop and run up on campus and thump President Trauths drum ( probably wouldn’t be a good idea to thump her chest) because the numbers reflect the GREAT numbers for the university and not the city. Anyone that thinks differently needs to stop drinking the kool-aid